MUMBAI: NCP chief Sharad Pawar said on Tuesday that his alleged caste certificate circulating on social media is a fake, and the entire world knows his caste. For the last several days, a purported caste certificate of Pawar has been circulating on social media, falsely claiming his caste as Other Backward Class. However, the NCP has clarified that someone has maliciously portrayed Pawar as OBC, despite the fact that he is a Maratha.
He said that the document claiming that he belongs to OBC is a 10th grade certificate written in English. he clarified that his actual 10th-grade certificate is in Marathi, not in English as shown in the fake certificate. Pawar said, “I have nothing against the OBC community, but the entire world knows my caste. I am not someone who engages in politics based on caste issues.”
NCP Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule also said that it was laughable to see her father’s fake school leaving certificate circulating on social media. A senior NCP leader mentioned that a deliberate conspiracy is being hatched against Pawar to portray him as OBC, suggesting an attempt to undermine his efforts for Maratha reservations.
He urged people not to succumb to the false propaganda spread against opposition leaders. Highlighting the issue of fake news, he emphasised the need for police to investigate and punish those responsible for spreading misinformation and fake documents.
Discussing the quota for the Maratha community, the NCP founder emphasised that the authority to implement reservation lies within the jurisdiction of both state and central governments. He said, “The passion among the younger generation regarding Maratha reservation is profound and cannot be overlooked. However, the authority to make decisions on this matter is vested in the hands of both the state and the Centre.”